Jaw-trap.



G. F. PETTY.

JAW TRAP. APPLICATION FILED 001231, 1913.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

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G. F. PETTY. JAW TRAP. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31, 1913.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

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GEORGE F. PET'IY, 0F VALLEY SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA.

JAW-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

Application filed October 31, 1913. Serial No. 798,476.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, G-nonen F. Pn'r'rY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Valley Springs, county ofCalaveras, and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Jaw- Traps, of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates to jaw traps.

The old style so-called Newhouse spring jaw trap has severaldisadvantages, among which are: tendency of the trigger to throw theanimals foot out from between the jaws, the necessity for making thejaws relatively low, and the fact that the pan is so related to the jawsthat unless the animal steps directly upon it or upon the trigger, it ispossible for him to put his foot in the trap without springing it, dueto the unoccupied space circumscribed by the spread aws.

1 Having in mind the foregoing defects of the old style trap, my objectis to provide a jaw trap having an improved pan which tends to throw thefoot of the animal into the trap instead of out of it, and by which itis insured that the animals leg will be caught relatively high up if heputs his leg within the space circumscribed by the jaws.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective of the trapwhen closed; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof with certain parts brokenaway and in section; Fig. 3, a view like Fig. 2 but showing the trapset; Fig. 4, a plan view of the trap when set; and Fig. 5, a detailperspective of the pan, pan plate and trigger.

The frame of the trap has a main bed plate 1 with jaw posts 2, as usual.It also has riveted to the bed plate 1 a cross bed plate 3 which,instead of terminating at the plate 1, extends completely thereacross at4:. The cross bed plate has an upwardly turned end 5 provided with anotch or slot 6. Hising from the cross bed plate 4: is a trip or panplate pivot post 7 which is slotted.

The jaws 8 are pivoted to the post 2, as usual. These jaws may be ofdifferent shapes but they will always, preferably, be of U-shaped form.I prefer to provide them with square or fiat edges to insure theirproperly grasping the animal. The actuating springs are shown at 9 andthey c0- op erate with the jaw posts and with the aw in the usualmanner.

The pan or trip plate 10 is elongated and extends above andsubstantially in line with the bed plate 3, being provided with anangular extension 11 which is received in the slotted part of the post 7and is pivoted thereto at 12. The pan is formed of a piece of stiff butsomewhat springy wire 13 which is arranged so that it will extend out ofopposite sides of the pan plate 10 which carries it. I do not wish tolimit myself to the precise shape of this springy wire which constitutesthe pan, as if am well aware that it may assume forms and constructionsdiffering in detail from the one which I have shown. I prefer, however,to construct the pan 13 of wire which is formed into loops extending outon opposite sides of the plate 10 and connected thereto in any preferredmanner, as for instance, by the clamps or staples 14: which are rivetedto the under side of the plate 10 or held thereto by nuts. It will beseen that the loops of the pan are free where they extend on oppositesides of the plate 10 and, by reason of their resiliency, if any portionthereof is pressed upon by the foot of the animal, such motion will beat once communicated. without giving the animal a chance to withdraw itsfoot, to the plate 10, as the looped or open formation of the pan tendsto entangle the animals foot. To lock the jaws in depressed position andto dispose the plate 10 and the pan 13 in set position. there 1S pivotedto the pan 13 at 15, a trigger 16 whose free end is adapted to bereceived within the notch or slot 6. Being connected to the pan. thetrigger holds the jaws down but, it will be observed, the trigger isadapted to move downwardly with the pan and, as distinguished from theNewhouse type of trigger, which is pivoted to the bed plate, my trigger,if stepped upon by the animal, tends to throw the animals foot into thejaws instead of to throw it out by the very action of the closing of thejaw, which latter defect is incident to the Newhouse type of trap.

Whenever an animal puts his foot in the trap, he is ractically sure totouch some portion of tie pan 13 and to entangle his foot in the loop ofthe pan, in doing which the plate 10 is immediately depressed and thetrigger 16 is disengaged from notch or slot 6, whereupon the springssnap the jaws closed. By reason of the space occupied by my pan, I amenabled to employ relatively high jaws and consequently, there is littlelikelihood of the leg of the animal escaping the grip of the jaws asthey tend to catch the leg relatively high up.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction set forth anddisclosed in the drawings, nor to the use of wire for the pan 13, asopenwork sheet metal could be substituted for the latter, nor do I limitthe invention to the exact disposition of the pan and pan plate as shownin Fig. 3 when the trap is set, as various. changes and modifications,within the spirit and scope of the invention may be resorted to.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a jaw trap, the combination with movable jaws, of a depressible pancircumscribed by the jaws when they are open, said pan being composed ofa centrally arranged movably mounted bar and depressible resilient loopseach connected to the bar and extending freely out on opposite sidesthereof, and a trigger for the jaws which is controlled by the pan.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto ailix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE F. PETTY.

Witnesses:

JOHN KNooP, J. T. PLILER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patentz, Washington, D. G."

